A filing Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles outlined 18 witnesses Sterling may call in the case, including his wife, Shelly, retired NBA Commissioner David Stern and former Clippers interim Chief Executive Dick Parsons.

The renewed push in the litigation seeking in excess of $1 billion in damages over the sale of the franchise came after the possibility of a settlement emerged last month.

Maxwell Blecher, the veteran antitrust attorney representing Sterling, and an NBA attorney started negotiating a possible dismissal during a mid-October meeting, according to court documents.

But Blecher withdrew as Sterling’s attorney earlier this week. In an email, Blecher wrote, “I am not aware of any ongoing settlement discussions.”

Thursday’s court filing describes Sterling’s lifetime ban and $2.5-million fine for recorded comments to Stiviano about blacks that become public in April as “egregiously excessive and utterly draconian.” Sterling wants to conduct “broad discovery” into the circumstances of the recording he maintains was made illegally.

In the same document, the NBA, which countersued Sterling in August, said it will present evidence that Sterling’s punishment was “entirely permissible and fully justified” and that he had “no reasonable expectation of privacy” during the recording. The league lists 16 potential witnesses, including Sterling and Stiviano.

John Locher / Associated Press

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a news conference during the NBA board of governors meeting this summer in Las Vegas.